New Orleans - For the first time since his return, Mayor Ray Nagin is speaking out tonight about his much criticized trip to Cuba, and what he hopes may come out of it.
Nagin said that even though he is leaving office, he hopes to implement some changes in the way the city prepares for emergencies, and he says complaints about the trip were a 'bunch of noise.'
The cost of the week-long trip for the mayor and nine other cityofficials was about $24,000, and Nagin says it was not awaste of money.
Nagin said he will share the information with a storm preparedness task force he heads for the National Conference of Mayors. Nagin is also working up an action plan for the New Orleans City Council.
The city's fire chief also took the trip, and is hoping for changes in the way we evacuate. And while the mayor says there are evacuation lessons to be learned from Cuba, there are economic benefits to be had as well.
Nagin said the widening of the Panama Canal will bring in tremendous new trade opportunities. He's also optimistic about new non-stop flights to Havana.
Nagin said we can't do everything Cuba does, but he says the idea of a central authority is essential in times of crisis, and he believes that authority should be the federal government.
Nagin said evacuations in Cuba are conducted block by block, in a campaign spearheaded by a block captain.
He added that, ideally, the federal government should come in and mandate evacuations. He also said they should maintain sole authority over an evacuation area for up to two weeks after a storm passes.
He hopes to submit his recommendations to the City Council in the next month.
